Cap nut



` Patented July 7, 1942 'geth'er toiormfa dome.

1 UNITED' STATE s" PATEN 'r oI-Fic'a l csr NUT James Rowland HotchkimShort Hills, NaI., as-

signor to The Palnut Company, Inc., Irvington,

N. J., a corporation of `New Jersey This invention relates toimprovements in cap nuts, and more particularly to improvements in endof a' bolt to which the nut is secured. A

An object of `the present invention is to prol locking cap nuts of atype utilized to conceal the vide a new, simple,.and efficient cap` nutwhich canbe made from sheet metal .and at a minimum of cost.

Another object `of the invention is `to provide a cap nutzoi' theforegoing type of such construc I i tion as tohave substantially fiatwrench-engaging surfaces to facilitate tightening the nut on Y `abolt.w`

A further `object ofthe invention is to provide a cap nut in which theportionconcealing the 1 4eiiiihofa" bolt. is made upof a' plurality `ofinipanying drawing, wherein l Fig. i is a plan view of a blank cut fromsheet metal and adapted to b e formed into a cap loci:- nut embodyingthe present invention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of a finished nut;

Fig. 3 is a top perspective view ofthe device shown in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a bottom `vievc" of the same device;

y Fig. `5 is a vertical'section taken substantially `on the Vline 5--5of Fig. 4, and

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 4 of amodifb cation of the invention.

Referring now to the drawing, and particularly to Fig. l, II) indicatesgenerally a blank stamped or otherwise cut from sheet metal, which blanktially `separate petal-like formations forced to- "'A still furtherobject which thread-engaging portions are provided of such character `astotbe capable'of cooperating with the threads of a `bolt to lock the nutthereto.

In carrying out the'v `foregoing and other ob.4 jects of the invention.a cap nut made in accordancetherewith is constructed from sheet metal'of suitable thickness The `nut can be `blanked out of a strip of metalin such fashion as tohave a `central aperture, the boundary edge ofwhich"` formed to provide 'a yielding thread-engaging. edge or edges,and which'blank is providedwith a plurality of petal-like formations.After the blank has been-stamped or otherwise cui; from sheet metal, itmay be formed into the desired configuration by bending the petal-like!formations upwardly and into contact,` with the boundl ary edges of onepetal-like formation in contact with the edges of adjacent formations sothat` the device assumes a cap or acorn shape. These petal-likeformations may have parts of opposite edges in substantialparallelismnear their bases so that when the petals are forced togetherthese I parallel edges contact .to rprovide parallel `iiat-wrench-engaging surfaces in the formations. In 45 ,onejform of theinvention the thread-engaging wall of the aperture may be made with aplurallty'of fingers disposed to assume a helix so far 'as their inneredges are concerned, while in another modiilcation of `the invention thethreadci Ithe :invention is "to providel a cap `riutrof the foregoingcharacterinf the desired shape for engaging the thread of a` engagingportion maybe made by distorting the wall of the central aperture intospiral formation interrupted by a single slot. i

Other features, objects and advantages of the invention will becomeapparent by reference to has a body or base portion II provided with acentral aperture I2, the edge of which has a plurality of slots o i"`channelsv It cuttherein, such channels 4being of graduated depth asshown. 1 `Due.to Athe provision of these channels I4 it is v possible todistortthe plurality of tongues I5 finto bolt.` Extending `outwardlyfrom the body portion II are a plurality of petal-like formations Ii,each similarlyY shaped. As will `be seen from` .an inspectionpf thedrawing, each petal-like formation has shortedges I1 in substantial par`allelism and extending outwardly a short distance from the root of theformation. These edges are continued into tapered edges i8 termi-`nating at a point.

i vAfter a blank has been stamped as shown, it`

may be further processed to cause it to assume the shape shown in Fig.2, wherein it will be seen j that the petal-like `ii'irmations I6 havebeen pressed upwardlyso that the edges of each petallike formation arein contact with edges of adjacent formations.` i Due to this shaping ofthedevice it follows that the substantiallyparallel edges I1 are incontact along a straight vertical line so that ilat surface portions I9in the formations result from the. meeting of these parallel edges.

The meeting of the tapered edges I8 results in the formation of an acornshaped dome or cap.

At the same time the body or base Il of the de` vice is shaped in suchVfashion that the tongues i5 'are pressed upwardly within 'the confinesof the nut in such fashion, as shown in the drawing, that the inneredges of the respective tongues lie alonga helix from the lowermosttongue to the uppermost tongue. This helix corresponds to the pitch ofthe thread of a bolt with which the nut is to be associated. Byreference to Figs. 4 and 6, it will be seen that the base of the deviceVhas a continuous-band portion which is merged into the opstanding sidewall portions and which extends inwardly from such side wall portions.This continuous band part of the base among other functions has that ofreinforcing the thread engaging parts of the nut s that tendency ofthese parts to expand the outer wail of thenut is materially ii not.completely eliminated. j

If desired. a device in accordance with this inventioncan be'constructed as shown in 6 wherein the edge of the aperture l2' isprovided with a single slot or groove 25. Due to the provision of thisgroove it is possible to distort the material of the wall surroundingaperture I2"inv4 to such shape that the edgeof the aperture follows ahelix which has substantially the .same pitchas the thread of a boltwith which the nut is to be associated. With the exception of thisdifference in the bolt-engaging portion of the nut, the device of Fig. 6is constructed in the same manner as the device of Figs. 1 to 5inclusive. v

While in the preferred form of the invention illustrated herein thepetal-like formations have been shown as being provided with paralleledges I1 extending a short distance from the base of the device, it willbe evident that these parallel edges may be dispensed with, in whichevent the petal-like formations will have` their side edges tapered fromthe base outwardly. In this form, however, the formation will stillprovide surfaces suitable for engagement with a wrench to tighten thedevice on a bolt since the complete device has its base formed withstraight edges of the de- Sred number, which number in the presentirlstance has been illustrated as being six.

After either ofthe devices shown herein have been shaped into thedesired form, if they are made of relatively soft metal they are thenheat treated or otherwise treated the desired hardness and resiliency.The treaty ments under which these devices are processed be necessary.The formation of thedevioes into the final form assures a completemember in which the shape has the desired permanency in the same mannerthat such permanency canlbe imparted by heat treatment as previouslydescribed. The nut of either embodiment ofthe invention can be used as aself-locking nut engaging a bolt to secure the bolt to some structurethrough whichit passes, or it can be used. as a to impart to themlare'made of hard rolledv locknut applied to a bolt in addition to a.common nut which is previously tightened on the bolt. The device of theinvention in this use thereof serves to lock the ordinary bolt inposition. The only requirement is that the bolt be of such length thatthe ent-ire end part thereof can be y accommodated Within the confinesof the cap locknut.

It is Vto be understood that the embodiments described and shown hereinare merely illustrative of the invention, and that any limitationsimposed upon the invention are to be only those set forth in thefollowing claims.

' I claim: A

1. A one piece preformed load sustaining nut comprising a member madefrom sheet metal, said member having a base providedwith a substantiallycentral aperture the boundary edge of which is adapted to engage thethreads of a vscrew-threaded bolt or the like, and which base Y has acontinuous band portion merged into and extending inwardly from aplurality of `upstand ing petal-like formations in edge contact to forma cap, parts of said formations being substantially flat to providewrench-engaging surfaces.

`2. A one piece preformed ioadsustaining nut comprising a member madefrom sheet metal,

said member having a. base provided with a substantially centralaperture the boundary edge of which is adapted to engage the threads ofa screw-threaded bolt or the like, and which base has a continuous bandportion merged into and extending inwardlyv from angularly disposed uplstanding substantially fi'at wrench-engaging surfaces and taperingedgecontacting cap portions. 3. A one piece preformed -load sustainingnut ,comprising a member made from sheet metal,

saidmember having a base provided with a substantially central aperturethe boundary edge of which is adapted to engage the threads of 'ascrew-threaded bolt or the like, and which base has a continuous bandportion merged into and extending inwardly'from a plurality ofupstanding petal-like formations, each having short substantiallyparallel edges adjacent the root thereof, and tapering ends, saidpetal-like formations being in edge contact one with another, saidformations having substantially fiat surfaces between the respectiveparallel edges.

4. A one piece preformed load sustaining-nut comprising a member madefrom sheet metal, said member having a base provided with asubstantially `central aperture, the material surrounding said aperturebeing distorted upwardly and helically to provide a thread forengagement with the threads of a bolt, and which base hasl a continuousband portion merged into and extending from angularly disposedupstanding substantially flat wrench-engaging surfaces and taperingedge-contacting cap portions.

JAMES ROWLAND HOTCHKIN.

CERTIFICATE oF CORREGTIN. patent No., 2,288,710. .my 7, 191g.

JAMES ROdLAND `HOTCHKIN It 1S herebylertified that error appeare 1h theprinted specificatio mftheabove nubered patent requiringcorrectinasfbllows: Page 2, secthe said Letters Patent should be readwith this correction therein that the same may`confonm`to the record efthe case in the Patent Office.

Signed and seeled this`25th day of August; A. D. 19h2.

v 4 v Henry Vn Arsdale, (Seal) Acting Commissioner of Patents.

